Financial autonomy and the challenges of policy implementation in Nigerian local governments

Abstract

This research investigated policy implementation issues and challenges of financial autonomy in Nigerian local governments. This become necessary as the need for effective implementation of local government policies for the purpose of enhancing social and economic well-being of the rural dwellers is very crucial. In Nigeria for instance, the realization of this objective was obstructed by inadequate financial resources due to absence of financial autonomy. The research used quantitative research design with a sample of 75 administrative and executive staff of the Sokoto South local government. The findings of the study indicated that lack of proper implementation of local government policies due to absence of financial autonomy is not an obstacle to rural development. It also showed that local government financial autonomy does not enhances effective policy implementation at local level. The study therefore, recommended that the federal constitution should be amended so as to allow local governments
to have full financial autonomy so as to have adequate financial resources to plan and implement local policies, state-local joint accounts should be scrapped through constitutional review so as to enable local governments have full control of its resources, corruption should be wipe out completely so as to enhance local government employee’s working capabilities, and finally, bureaucratic capacity should be strengthened with emphasis given to merit recruitment with a view to have efficient employees capable of implementing local policies for the betterment of the rural dwellers.